Multiple clutch module

ABSTRACT

A multiple clutch module for an automatic transmission integrates at least two multi-plate wet clutches into a single module. Each of the clutches includes a set of separator plates interleaved with at least one friction plate and a piston configured to compress the separators plates and friction plates. The separator plates of the first clutch are splined to a housing along their inner diameter whereas the separator plates of the second clutch are splined to the housing along their outer diameter. Each piston is associated with an apply chamber and a balance chamber radially inside the respective separator plates and friction plates. The housing rotates about a central shaft. Pressurized fluid is supplied to the clutches from the shaft. The first and second balance chambers are connected by a passageway within the housing such that they can be supplied with fluid from a common orifice in the housing.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of automatic transmissions for motor vehicles. More particularly, the disclosure pertains to a configuration of clutches for use in a transmission.

BACKGROUND

Many vehicles are used over a wide range of vehicle speeds, including both forward and reverse movement. Some types of engines, however, are capable of operating efficiently only within a narrow range of speeds. Consequently, transmissions capable of efficiently transmitting power at a variety of speed ratios are frequently employed. When the vehicle is at low speed, the transmission is usually operated at a high speed ratio such that it multiplies the engine torque for improved acceleration. At high vehicle speed, operating the transmission at a low speed ratio permits an engine speed associated with quiet, fuel efficient cruising. Typically, a transmission has a housing mounted to the vehicle structure, an input shaft driven by an engine crankshaft, and an output shaft driving the vehicle wheels, often via a differential assembly which permits the left and right wheel to rotate at slightly different speeds as the vehicle turns.

A common type of automatic transmission utilizes a collection of clutches and brakes. Various subsets of the clutches and brakes are engaged to establish the various speed ratios. A common type of clutch utilizes a clutch pack having separator plates splined to a housing and interleaved with friction plates splined to a rotating shell. When the separator plates and the friction plates are forced together, torque may be transmitted between the housing and the shell. Typically, a separator plate on one end of the clutch pack, called a reaction plate, is axially held to the housing. A piston applies axial force to a separator plate on the opposite end of the clutch pack, called a pressure plate, compressing the clutch pack. The piston force is generated by supplying pressurized fluid to a chamber between the housing and the piston. For a brake, the housing may be integrated into the transmission case. For a clutch, the housing rotates. As the pressurized fluid flows from the stationary transmission case to the rotating housing, it may need to cross one or more interfaces between components rotating at different speeds. At each interface, seals direct the flow from an opening in one component into an opening in the interfacing component.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A transmission includes a clutch housing, three clutch packs, and three pistons. The first and second of the three clutch packs include separator plates splined to the housing and friction plates splined to first and second shells, respectively. An input shaft extends through the housing. The third of the three clutch packs includes separator plates splined to the input shaft and friction plates splined to the second shell. The three pistons are configured to apply force to the respective clutch packs. A sun gear of a first planetary gear set may be fixedly coupled to the second shell. The transmission may also include a second planetary gear set with a sun gear fixedly coupled to the first shell and a ring gear fixedly coupled to the housing.

In one embodiment, a clutch module includes a housing configured to rotate about a shaft, a first set of separator plates splined to the housing along their outer edges, and a second set of separator plates splined to the housing along their inner edges. The inner diameter of the second separator plates is less than the outer diameter of the first separator plates. The clutch module may also include a first piston configured to apply force to the first separator plates and, in conjunction with the housing, defining a first apply chamber with an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the first separator plates. The clutch module may also include a second piston configured to apply force to the second separator plates and, in conjunction with the housing, defining a second apply chamber with an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the second separator plates. The housing, first piston, and second piston, may also define first and second balance chambers connected to one another by a passageway.

In another embodiment, a clutch module includes a housing configured to rotate about a shaft, two clutch packs, and two pistons. The clutch packs each includes separator plates splined to the housing and interleaved with friction plates. The first and second pistons are configured to compress the first and second clutch packs, respectively. The pistons and the housing define first and second apply chambers. The outer diameter of the first apply chamber is less than the inner diameter of the first separator plates. Similarly, the outer diameter of the second apply chamber is less than the inner diameter of the second separator plates. The housing may be fixedly coupled to a ring gear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transmission gearing arrangement.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of one of the clutches and one of the planetary gear sets of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of three of the clutches and one of the planetary gear sets of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross section of three of the clutches and one of the planetary gear sets of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.

A gearing arrangement is a collection of rotating elements and shift elements configured to impose specified speed relationships among the rotating elements. Some speed relationships, called fixed speed relationships, are imposed regardless of the state of any shift elements. Other speed relationships, called selective speed relationships, are imposed only when particular shift elements are fully engaged. A discrete ratio transmission has a gearing arrangement that selectively imposes a variety of speed ratios between an input shaft and an output shaft.

A group of rotating elements are fixedly coupled to one another if they are constrained to rotate as a unit in all operating conditions. Rotating elements can be fixedly coupled by spline connections, welding, press fitting, machining from a common solid, or other means. Slight variations in rotational displacement between fixedly coupled elements can occur such as displacement due to lash or shaft compliance. In contrast, two rotating elements are selectively coupled by a shift element when the shift element constrains them to rotate as a unit whenever it is fully engaged and they are free to rotate at distinct speeds in at least some other operating condition. A shift element that holds a rotating element against rotation by selectively connecting it to the housing is called a brake. A shift element that selectively couples two or more rotating elements to one another is called a clutch. Shift elements may be actively controlled devices such as hydraulically or electrically actuated clutches or brakes or may be passive devices such as one way clutches or brakes.

An example transmission is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. The transmission utilizes four simple planetary gear sets 20, 30, 40, and 50. A planet carrier 22 rotates about a central axis and supports a set of planet gears 24 such that the planet gears rotate with respect to the planet carrier. External gear teeth on the planet gears mesh with external gear teeth on a sun gear 26 and with internal gear teeth on a ring gear 28. The sun gear and ring gear are supported to rotate about the same axis as the carrier. Gear sets 30, 40, and 50 are similarly structured.

A suggested ratio of gear teeth for each planetary gear set is listed in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Ring 28/Sun 26 2.20 Ring 38/Sun 36 1.75 Ring 48/Sun 46 1.60 Ring 58/Sun 56 3.70

In the transmission of FIG. 1, sun gear 26 is fixedly coupled to sun gear 36, carrier 22 is fixedly coupled to ring gear 58, ring gear 38 is fixedly coupled to sun gear 46, input shaft 60 is fixedly coupled to carrier 32, and output shaft 62 is fixedly coupled to carrier 52. Ring gear 28 is selectively held against rotation by brake 66 and sun gears 26 and 36 are selectively held against rotation by brake 68. Input shaft 60 is selectively coupled to sun gear 56 by clutch 70. Ring gear 48 is selectively coupled to sun gear 56 by clutch 72 and selectively coupled to ring gear 38 and sun gear 46 by clutch 76. Carrier 42 is selectively coupled to carrier 22 and ring gear 58 by clutch 74.

As shown in Table 2, engaging the shift elements in combinations of four establishes ten forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio between input shaft 60 and output shaft 62. An X indicates that the shift element is required to establish the speed ratio. An (X) indicates the shift element can be applied but is not required. In 1^(st) gear, either clutch 74 or clutch 76 can be applied instead of applying clutch 72 without changing the speed ratio. When the gear sets have tooth numbers as indicated in Table 1, the speed ratios have the values indicated in Table 2.

TABLE 2 66 68 70 72 74 76 Ratio Step Rev X X X X −4.79 102%  1^(st) X X X (X) 4.70  2^(nd) X X X X 2.99 1.57  3^(rd) X X X X 2.18 1.37  4^(th) X X X X 1.80 1.21  5^(th) X X X X 1.54 1.17  6^(th) X X X X 1.29 1.19  7^(th) X X X X 1.00 1.29  8^(th) X X X X 0.85 1.17  9^(th) X X X X 0.69 1.24 10^(th) X X X X 0.64 1.08

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the center section of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1. The cross section of FIG. 2 is taken between the planetary gears 44 of gear set 40. Housing 80 of clutch 74 is integrated with the carrier 42 of gear set 40. A collection of separator plates 82 is splined at their inner edges to housing 80. A collection of friction plates 84 is interleaved with separator plates 82 and splined at their outer edges to shell 86. Shell 86 is fixedly coupled to carrier 22 and ring gear 58. Piston 88 is supported to slide axially within housing 80. The contact points between housing 80 and piston 88 have seals such that housing 80 and piston 88 define two chambers 90 and 92. The chambers have inner and outer diameters defined by the contact points between the housing and the piston. Clutch 74 is engaged by pressurizing fluid in clutch apply chamber 90 such that piston 88 slides toward gear set 40 and compresses friction plates 84 between separator plates 82. When housing 80 rotates, centrifugal forces may pressurize fluid within clutch apply chamber 90 which could potentially result in unintended engagement of clutch 74. However, fluid in balance chamber 92 is subject to the same centrifugal forces, exerting a compensating force on piston 88 to preclude this failure mode. Fluid reaches chambers 90 and 92 via axial passageways in input shaft 60 then through holes in hollow shaft 94. Hollow shaft 94 is fixedly coupled to ring gear 38 and sun gear 46. Return spring 96, which extends into the space between planet gears, forces piston 88 to slide away from gear set 40 when pressure in chamber 90 is relieved.

FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1 slightly rearward from the view of FIG. 2. The cross section of FIG. 3 is taken through the center of one of the planetary gears 44 of gear set 40. Housing 98 of clutches 72 and 74 is fixedly coupled to ring gear 48 of gear set 40. A collection of separator plates 100 is splined at their outer edges to housing 98. A collection of friction plates 102 is interleaved with separator plates 100 and splined at their inner edges to shell 104. Shell 104 is fixedly coupled to hollow shaft 94. Piston 106 is supported to slide axially within housing 98. Housing 98 and piston 106 define two chambers 108 and 110. Clutch 76 is engaged by pressurizing fluid in clutch apply chamber 108 such that piston 106 slides toward gear set 40 and compresses friction plates 102 between separator plates 100. Centrifugal force acting on the fluid in balance chamber 110 compensates for centrifugal force acting on the fluid in clutch apply chamber 108. Return spring 112 forces piston 106 to slide away from gear set 40 when pressure in chamber 108 is relieved.

A collection of separator plates 114 is splined at their inner edges to housing 98. A collection of friction plates 116 is interleaved with separator plates 114 and splined at their outer edges to shell 118. Shell 118 is fixedly coupled to sun gear 56. Piston 120 is supported to slide axially within housing 98. Housing 98 and piston 120 define two chambers 122 and 124. Clutch 72 is engaged by pressurizing fluid in clutch apply chamber 122 such that piston 120 slides toward gear set 40 and compresses friction plates 116 between separator plates 114. Centrifugal force acting on the fluid in balance chamber 124 compensates for centrifugal force acting on the fluid in clutch apply chamber 120. Return spring 126 forces piston 120 to slide away from gear set 40 when pressure in chamber 122 is relieved. Fluid reaches chambers 108, 110, 122, and 124 via axial passageways in input shaft 60. A passageway within housing 98 connects balance chambers 110 and 124.

Housings 80 and 98 are described as single components. However, they likely would be manufactured in several pieces which are fastened together during assembly. Clutch 74 may be assembled before installation into the transmission. Similarly, clutches 76 and 72 may be assembled into a two clutch module before installation into the transmission.

FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of a transmission according to the gearing arrangement of FIG. 1 slightly rearward from the view of FIG. 3. Housing 128 of clutch 70 is fixedly coupled to input shaft 60. A collection of separator plates 130 is splined at their inner edges to housing 128. A collection of friction plates 132 is interleaved with separator plates 130 and splined at their outer edges to shell 118. Piston 134 is supported to slide axially within housing 128. Housing 128, piston 134, and input shaft 60 define two chambers 136 and 138. Clutch 70 is engaged by pressurizing fluid in clutch apply chamber 136 such that piston 134 slides toward gear set 40 and compresses friction plates 132 between separator plates 130. Centrifugal force acting on the fluid in balance chamber 138 compensates for centrifugal force acting on the fluid in clutch apply chamber 136. Return spring 140 forces piston 134 to slide away from gear set 40 when pressure in chamber 136 is relieved.

A single passageway in input shaft 60 supplies unpressurized fluid to balance chambers 92, 110, 124, and 138. The same passageway may supply fluid to other parts of the transmission for lubrication. Separate passageways supply clutch apply chambers 90, 108, 122, and 136 such that each clutch may be engaged and disengaged independently of the other clutches. Fluid may flow into these five passageways in input shaft 60 either from a front support, through the output shaft, or a combination of these.

The configuration of clutches in FIGS. 2-4 places the apply chamber and balance chamber at the same axial position and radially inside the respective clutch pack. This reduces the axial length of the transmission relative to placing the clutch packs axially in line with the apply chamber and balance chamber. Since fluid pressure is supplied to the clutches from central shaft, locating the chambers near the centerline reduces the need for radial passageways. Furthermore, since the torque capacity of each clutch is directly proportional to the mean diameter of the clutch pack, locating the clutch packs radially outside of the apply chambers reduces the number of friction plates required or the required area of the apply chamber.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A transmission comprising: a clutch housing; a first clutch pack having first separator plates splined to the clutch housing and a first friction plate splined to a first shell; a first piston configured to slide axially within the clutch housing and apply force to the first clutch pack; a second clutch pack having second separator plates splined to the clutch housing and a second friction plate splined to a second shell; a second piston configured to slide axially within the clutch housing and apply force to the second clutch pack; an input shaft extending through the housing; a third clutch pack having third separator plates splined to the input shaft and a third friction plate splined to the second shell; and a third piston configured to apply force to the third clutch pack.
 2. The transmission of claim 1 further comprising a first planetary gear set having a first sun gear fixedly coupled to the second shell, a first carrier, a first ring gear, and a first plurality of planet gears supported on the first carrier and meshing with the first sun gear and the first ring gear.
 3. The transmission of claim 2 further comprising a second planetary gear set having a second sun gear fixedly coupled to the first shell, a second carrier, a second ring gear fixedly coupled to the housing, and a second plurality of planet gears supported on the second carrier and meshing with the second sun gear and the second ring gear.
 4. A clutch module comprising: a housing configured to rotate about a shaft; a first pressure plate having an outer edge splined to the housing, the first pressure plate having first inner and outer diameters; and a second pressure plate having an inner edge splined to the housing, the second pressure plate having a second inner diameter less than the first outer diameter and a second outer diameter greater than the first inner diameter.
 5. The clutch module of claim 4 further comprising a first piston interfacing with the housing to define a first apply chamber having an outer diameter less than the first inner diameter.
 6. The clutch module of claim 4 further comprising a second piston interfacing with the housing to define a second apply chamber having an outer diameter less than the second inner diameter.
 7. The clutch module of claim 4 further comprising: a first piston interfacing with the housing to define a first apply chamber and a first balance chamber; and a second piston interfacing with the housing to define a second apply chamber and a second balance chamber; wherein the housing defines a passageway connecting the first balance chamber to the second balance chamber.
 8. The clutch module of claim 4 further comprising: a plurality of first separator plates, including the first pressure plate; a plurality of first friction plates interspersed with the plurality of first separator plates and splined to a first shell, the first shell fixedly coupled to a first rotating element; a plurality of second separator plates, including the second pressure plate; and a plurality of second friction plates interspersed with the plurality of second separator plates and splined to a second shell, the second shell fixedly coupled to a second rotating element; wherein the housing is axially located between the first rotating element and the second rotating element.
 9. A clutch module comprising: a housing configured to rotate about a shaft; a first clutch pack having a plurality of first separator plates splined to the housing and interleaved with at least one first friction plate, the first separator plates having an inner diameter; a first piston configured to compress the first clutch pack, the first piston interfacing with the housing to define a first apply chamber, the first apply chamber having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the first separator plates; a second clutch pack having a plurality of second separator plates splined to the housing and interleaved with at least one second friction plate, the second separator plates having an inner diameter; and a second piston configured to compress the second clutch pack, the second piston interfacing with the housing to define a second apply chamber, the second apply chamber having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the second separator plates.
 10. The clutch module of claim 9 further comprising a ring gear fixedly coupled to the housing. 